Can gynecomastia surgery go wrong?

29 year old male underwent gynecomastia surgery – right oblique view

29 year old male underwent gynecomastia surgery – right view

Can gynecomastia surgery go wrong? Absolutely it can if it is performed by a general surgeon who is accustomed to performing mastectomies and whom are not well versed in the art of liposuction. Why is this scope of general practice not conducive to gynecomastia surgery. We have to discuss what comprises gynecomastia first.

Gynecomastia is the feminization of male breasts that is described by full and rounded breasts. In order to make the breasts more masculine, the breasts must be made less rounded and flatter in appearance. This is achieved by two maneuvers; the first is to remove the discoid glandular tissue using a direct excision. This is what general surgeons perform routinely and is similar to performing a mastectomy or simple excision. Unfortunately, direct excision of the gland solely is not adequate. This is because the removal of the gland must be feathered peripherally throughout the chest so that there is a smooth transition between the area of excision and the breast periphery. This feathering of tissues is accomplished with liposuction since the process involves fat removal. Since general sugeons do not routinely perform liposuction, this step may be bypassed. Bypassing this step will result in a divot deformity. A contour irregularity is how gynecomastia can go wrong.

If you have had gynecomastia surgery and have been left with a contour irregularity such as a concavity or divot deformity, then you may consider a gynecomastia revision surgery by a cosmetic surgeon. In order to correct your deformity, a combination of liposuction and fat transfer should be considered. This will involve feathering of the excess fat in the chest periphery. In order to create a smooth chest appearance, you will have to consider replacement of fat in the area of the nipple and areola where typically overresection was performed.

Can gynecomastia surgery go wrong Conclusion

In summary, gynecomastia surgery can go wrong if not perfomed using a combination of direct gland excision and liposuction of the periphery. This will result in a contour irregularity with a divot in the area of the nipple and areola complex following over-resection of tissue. Avoidance of liposuction of the chest periphery is the final component to gynecomastia gone wrong. Finally, gynecomastia surgery gone wrong can be corrected using a combination of liposuction and fat grafting.